A unanimous Iowa Supreme Court today upheld a lower court ruling that denying marriage to same-sex couples violates the liberty and equality guarantees of the state's constitution. People For the American Way Foundation, whicmore --------------------------------------------------

Equal Rights Washington Celebrates Marriage Wins in Iowa and Vermont
We at Equal Rights Washington are joining our brothers and sisters in the states of Iowa and Vermont in celebrating their successes towards full equality. In Vermont, winning full marriage equality completely through the legislature is now a real possibility. Early this morning the Iowa Supreme Court handed down a unanimous decision endinmore--------------------------------------------------

The Vermont House voted 95 to 52 Thursday night, April 2, to approve a bill that will allow same-sex couples to marry. While the vote fell just five votes shy of a veto-proof margin, supporters are still hopeful of picking up those votes between now and next Tuesday, when the override vote is expemore --------------------------------------------------

Last week Sen. Ed Murray's Domestic Partnership rights expansion bill, Senate Bill 5688, which grants domestic partners all of the same rights and obligations as married couples in the state of Washington, passed through the House Judiciary Committee. Additional benefits granted by the passagemore --------------------------------------------------

We may soon know whether Barack Obama will stand up for Queer America or fold like so many politicians have before. The pressure of two recent court rulings, a lawsuit and new legislation - all challenging aspects of the Defense of Marriage Act - should push the Obama Administration to more --------------------------------------------------

This week, I joined San Francisco organizer Michael Petrelis and Box Turtle Bulletin editor Jim Burroway in launching an international boycott against Jamaica (www.boycottJamaica.org). While the island appears laid back, Gays are under attack.

Forget business as usual. more --------------------------------------------------

In major cities across the United States, most people have heard of and/or participated in some sort of Dining Out for Life event. The concept should be familiar. On a prescheduled day, restaurants across the city donate a percentage of the day's profits to a local AIDS charity. The evmore --------------------------------------------------

Gay Liberation pioneers seek "lost" colleagues
Former members of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF), the organization that launched the modern Gay rights movement in the wake of the June 1969 Stonewall Rebellion in New York City, are seeking information about "lost" colleagues as they plan reunions in June to mark the 40th anniversary of Stonewall.

The reunions, including possimore --------------------------------------------------

Conflicting reports on Venezuelan civil-union bill
Venezuela's National Assembly is set to legalize same-sex unions with a new "associations of coexistence" law, MP Romelia Matute told reporters March 20.

She said the law will extend "juridical and patrimonial effects," likely meaning the legal rmore

Northwest News

Northwest News "EXPOSED: A CELEBRATION
OF QUEER ARTISTRY"
On Friday, April 3, at 7 p.m., Gay City Health Project presents its second annual exhibit, "Exposed: A Celebration of Queer Artistry." The exhibit will be held at the Century Ballroom's West Hall, 915 E. Pine St. The juried show will feature some of Seattle's most gifted artists, presenting a wealth of queer art in a varietymore

Sen. Kerry goes to bat for binational Gay couple
U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., has gone to bat for a binational Gay couple, asking the Obama administration to let Genésio Oliveira return from Brazil to live with his husband, Tim Coco, in Massachusetts.

On April 1, Sweden became the seventh country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage.

Following a five-hour debate in Parliament, the legislation was overwhelmingly passed on a 261 to 22 vote, with 16 abstentions. The new law will go into effect May 1, replacing a 1995 law that allowed civmore
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University of Chicago students recently showed us how protests against hate should be done.

When the Westboro Baptist Church - the cult-like organization led by Fred Phelps - trooped to campus to declare Obama the anti-Christ (he taught at the law school), they were camore-------

How to Promote Sustainability without Sacrifice at Home
(ARA) - Spring is the perfect time to think green. The sun is shining and plants are in bloom -- so why not get inspired to consider adding a bit of green to your lifestyle? Here's a look at how you can reduce your consumption of the earth's resources to help preserve them for years to come.

When author Benoit Denizet-Lewis began researching _America Anonymous: Eight Addicts in Search of a Life_, he wanted his book about addicts to include someone from the LGBT community. In "Todd" - a 40-year-old addicted to steroids and crystal meth - he found a complex character: a Bisexuamore-------

Alan Henry Johnson, 1954-2008
Alan Henry Johnson, 54, was born April 10, 1954 in Bellingham, WA and passed away peacefully in his Tacoma home on Christmas morning (2008) with his partner of 27 years, Michael Barrett, at his side. Alan graduated from high school in Ferndale, WA and later graduated from a business school in Seattle. Throughout the years, Alan made his home in more-------